Tank appropriate species

Tristren

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In the discussion on the article by @Aqua Box, on captive bred and wild caught fish @Lasse raised the idea of different species being more or less suitable for aquarium life:
One thing that’s not had been discussed here yet - which species (fishes) is most ethical to have in captivity. There is an ethical concern about where the fishes comes from – the wild or captive bred – a concern that IMO is more to silence our own conscience than protecting the fish. The real ethical question for me is instead – should I take a species that is in nature lives in a very small spot of the reef or should I take the ones that swimming more freely over a large area? A clown lives in his anemone, a coral goby stay in their coral, a prawn goby stay in its hole, most cardinals stay in the same aggregate of fishes in the same small spot and so on. Some reef fishes may be the best fishes of all to have in our small boxes of glass because their natural behaviour are to live at the same small spot for the whole life. I try to have small, stationary species in my aquaria or species that adapt their territory according to feeding behaviours.

Sincerely Lasse

That's something I've thought about as well... picking species that, by nature, stay in a small area. Not wanting to high jack the other thread I figured I'd start this one to hear what others think about the idea and how different fish fit in terms of this.

Obviously being in a glass box is different than being in the ocean. Presumably there are positives to that (steady access to food, lack of predators). But there are stresses as well. If we can pick species that won't be stressed out by the "confined" space then that has to increase the chances of a happy and healthy fish population.

Clowns and watchman Gobies seem to fit in with this idea (as Lasse mention) lawnmower Blennies seem like other likely candidates.

What are some others?


Tony
 

Lasse

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One of my worst memories from my childhood (according to captive hold animals) are a visit to Copenhagen’s Zoo in the early 60: ties. There was a large tiger in a small cage and he was going back and forward in the front of the cage the whole time.

More or less -I have seen this behaviour among some reef fishes in small aquaria´s but others – still always on the move – moves in the aquaria in an unpredictable moving pattern – often looking for food. That a fish has a more or less natural behaviour. That’s the the tool for me to determine if a particular species fits in my aquarium or not.

I was a little concern about my wrasses but it shows up that they seems to thrive very well in my aquaria – always on the move – but total unpredictable which direction they will take the next seconds. My cardinals – the species I have live mostly in large aggregates – often in the same spot – just following the waves back and forth. I planned my aquaria not to have a huge streamer capacity – but to give a wave pattern similar to a Seicher wave (standing wave) I succeeded rather well and when I saw the cardinals showing the same behavior in my aquaria – I was glad.

Many species of the pistol shrimp lives in the borders between sand and rocks. I designed one of the corners in that way hoping that I could get a pistol shrimp moving in there. I got a pistol a month ago and 1 weeks later – he/she accept my solution and I got the digging monster there it did not disturb my corals. I love clown gobies – and they love corals that have branches – therefore I concentrated me to have some of these to thrive and aftermath introduce different clown gobies. It seems like I have succeed with the midnight clown goby at the moment – and to have success with some of the more secretly species of this family was one of the goals. I have large space behind my rock decoration and the back window – the reason for this was to create hidden places for the more shy species I want to have. If the feel safe – they show up much more.

What I want to say is – design your aquarium after the needs for your inhabitants – not for the needs of your eyes. However – if you think a little in the beginning – you can combine these two things.

For me – a medium aquarium full of small and interesting fishes is more for my eyes compared with a large aquarium full of large species with behaviors that not fit any normal home aquarium (< 1000 litres)

Sincerely Lasse
 
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Tristren

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One of my worst memories from my childhood (according to captive hold animals) are a visit to Copenhagen’s Zoo in the early 60: ties. There was a large tiger in a small cage and he was going back and forward in the front of the cage the whole time.

More or less -I have seen this behaviour among some reef fishes in small aquaria´s but others – still always on the move – moves in the aquaria in an unpredictable moving pattern – often looking for food. That a fish has a more or less natural behaviour. That’s the the tool for me to determine if a particular species fits in my aquarium or not.

I was a little concern about my wrasses but it shows up that they seems to thrive very well in my aquaria – always on the move – but total unpredictable which direction they will take the next seconds.

Precisely. Wrasses seem to be a goddess example for this (though I have not yet gotten any myself there are some that look like they would be very nice). I gather their natural habitat is deeper, darker and wider than our tanks. But they do seem to adapt to tank life very well (appropriately sized). So that gives hope that it doesn't just have to be the fish that stay in their "home" in the wild, but there are others that have some different behaviour in the wild but are happy to stay in one place given an abundance of food and lack of predators.

That does make it more complicated when trying to figure out who can be a good fit a who will not respond well to confinement.

My cardinals – the species I have live mostly in large aggregates – often in the same spot – just following the waves back and forth. I planned my aquaria not to have a huge streamer capacity – but to give a wave pattern similar to a Seicher wave (standing wave) I succeeded rather well and when I saw the cardinals showing the same behavior in my aquaria – I was glad.

Cardinals are another good example for this discussion. They do seem perfectly suited as we see them aggregating together in the same spot. But I was reading that in the wild they do that during the day, but at night they spread out to hunt.

Again, they may be ones that are quite happy to not go wider to hunt at night if there is plenty of food available where they are though. I hope so because I would like to get a little group of them as well.

Many species of the pistol shrimp lives in the borders between sand and rocks. I designed one of the corners in that way hoping that I could get a pistol shrimp moving in there. I got a pistol a month ago and 1 weeks later – he/she accept my solution and I got the digging monster there it did not disturb my corals. I love clown gobies – and they love corals that have branches – therefore I concentrated me to have some of these to thrive and aftermath introduce different clown gobies. It seems like I have succeed with the midnight clown goby at the moment – and to have success with some of the more secretly species of this family was one of the goals. I have large space behind my rock decoration and the back window – the reason for this was to create hidden places for the more shy species I want to have. If the feel safe – they show up much more.

What I want to say is – design your aquarium after the needs for your inhabitants – not for the needs of your eyes. However – if you think a little in the beginning – you can combine these two things.

For me – a medium aquarium full of small and interesting fishes is more for my eyes compared with a large aquarium full of large species with behaviors that not fit any normal home aquarium (< 1000 litres)

Sincerely Lasse

I am starting to lean more towards that as well. Though there are definitely some "bigger" fish that I also like... I have a Magnificent Foxface in observation now (with a Starry Blenny) to move in soon. And I do quite like Blue Throat Triggers. But as I move along my fish plan, I have a Filefish and Purple Firefish in now, I am finding that I really do like the small scale of those and the Blenny along with all the other little life in the tank. I know I want to add a Goby/Shrimp pair at some point.

I have been doing this for only a few months now, but it has been an intensive few months with many many hours of reading and watching and talking and learning. But there is still so much more to consider.

I think that one of the guiding principles though should be to create an environment that is as good or better for our animals that they would get in the wild. And tied to that must be the aim of having a life span beyond the wild. Given the lack of predators and ability to ensure steady nutrition that should absolutely be achievable I would think. And if we are falling short on that we should figure out how to adjust to make it happen.

Tony
 
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Small basslets, damsels, blennies, and gobies are all site-oriented so seldom leave their selected cave or overhang.

So it seems like a lot of the little ones then, that's good. And have you found that they are better suited to life in a tank? Easier to acclimate?

Are there any species that move around a lot on the reef but that you've found actually seem to really adapt well to aquariums?

What about Anthias?
 

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Fish with small territories like those mentioned above are good. I would also add hawkfish to the list but they can limit really tiny tankmates. Seahorse, pipefish and dragonets also fit in to species tanks.
 

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I briefly mention my planned 90 in that thread. It's basically the same concept. In the past I would try to fit the biggest fish I could into a reef tank. It never looked quite natural. This time around I want to focus more on the corals and I didn't want a couple large fish just aimlessly swimming around in front of them, using them as a backdrop. It occurred to me that the smaller fish tend to stay in one spot and interact with the reef more. That keeps them safe from predators. So that is what I decided I'm going to do.

I plan on several types of clown gobies, along with their corresponding corals. Some barnacle blennies. Pajama Cardinals. A small prawn goby/pistol shrimp combo. Red spotted cardinals or Long spine cardinals. Possum Wrasse. I'm still working on the list.

I'm the kind of guy who can be entertained for hours watching a tank. I think this way will be much more entertaining, seeing the fish behave more naturally.
 
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Tristren

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Fish with small territories like those mentioned above are good. I would also add hawkfish to the list but they can limit really tiny tankmates. Seahorse, pipefish and dragonets also fit in to species tanks.

The longnose hawkfish does look very interesting. But yes, the tendency to munch on tank mates is what moved me off those.

I would love to have seahorses, but think I need to be more experienced before we get some of them.
 
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I briefly mention my planned 90 in that thread. It's basically the same concept. In the past I would try to fit the biggest fish I could into a reef tank. It never looked quite natural. This time around I want to focus more on the corals and I didn't want a couple large fish just aimlessly swimming around in front of them, using them as a backdrop. It occurred to me that the smaller fish tend to stay in one spot and interact with the reef more. That keeps them safe from predators. So that is what I decided I'm going to do.

I plan on several types of clown gobies, along with their corresponding corals. Some barnacle blennies. Pajama Cardinals. A small prawn goby/pistol shrimp combo. Red spotted cardinals or Long spine cardinals. Possum Wrasse. I'm still working on the list.

I'm the kind of guy who can be entertained for hours watching a tank. I think this way will be much more entertaining, seeing the fish behave more naturally.

Yes, our plan is certainly focused on more of the little guys in and around the rocks and sand. With a couple of the bigger ones as well. Aiming for balance really...
 

Lasse

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I briefly mention my planned 90 in that thread. It's basically the same concept. In the past I would try to fit the biggest fish I could into a reef tank. It never looked quite natural. This time around I want to focus more on the corals and I didn't want a couple large fish just aimlessly swimming around in front of them, using them as a backdrop. It occurred to me that the smaller fish tend to stay in one spot and interact with the reef more. That keeps them safe from predators. So that is what I decided I'm going to do.

I plan on several types of clown gobies, along with their corresponding corals. Some barnacle blennies. Pajama Cardinals. A small prawn goby/pistol shrimp combo. Red spotted cardinals or Long spine cardinals. Possum Wrasse. I'm still working on the list.

I'm the kind of guy who can be entertained for hours watching a tank. I think this way will be much more entertaining, seeing the fish behave more naturally.

Look at my thread - you can see how it will looks :) - the tank is a little bit smaller (app 75 gallon - 300 litres) but the fish you ment is there and some more species :)

Sincerely Lasse
 

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For those who love hawkfish but worry about tiny tankmates ... have you looked into the geometric perchlet, Plectranthias? They've got a real hawkfish feel about them ... at a size where most any fish or shrimp you'd like to add ought to be safe . . .

~Bruce, who almost bought one today
 

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Look at my thread - you can see how it will looks :) - the tank is a little bit smaller (app 75 gallon - 300 litres) but the fish you ment is there and some more species :)

Sincerely Lasse

I just read the whole thing. Well, the parts that didn't go way over my head :D That is exactly what I had in mind. I see you share my love of invertebrates as well. Plus, you reminded me about one of my old favorites, the scooter blenny. That is an amazing tank. I hope mine turns out at least half as good as yours.
 

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Are there any species that move around a lot on the reef but that you've found actually seem to really adapt well to aquariums?

What about Anthias?
Wrasses move around a lot, but most species readily adapt to captivity. So do dwarf angels.

A few fish I forgot earlier where firefish and dartfish, as well as Hoplolitilus species of tilefish.

Most anthias adapt well to captivity. In the wild they mostly hover in place anyway. But some species, such as purple queens and tiger queens are a challenge to get eating aquarium fare.
 

Lasse

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I just read the whole thing. Well, the parts that didn't go way over my head :D That is exactly what I had in mind. I see you share my love of invertebrates as well. Plus, you reminded me about one of my old favorites, the scooter blenny. That is an amazing tank. I hope mine turns out at least half as good as yours.

I´m sure it will be at least as good as mine. I put a lot of time to plan my aquaria in my head and the livestock was one of the most important issues. I´m not so found of "coloured sticks" (most people call them Acropora - but I don´t :)) but I have put in some (and Seriatopora hystrix which I like a lot) in order to create an environment for one fish I really want – the harlequin filefish, Oxymonacanthus longirostris. It will take some time till I can have a great production of corals that this little guy need in the beginning - they are polyp eaters and need a lot of polyps in the beginning. After a while they normally start to take frozen artemia but the first months – they need their natural food. I´m also – slowly – rise the numbers of cardinals – they are rather hardy but some of them is very sensitive according transports.

One favourite is lacking for the moment - the fathead anthias - Serranocirrhitus latus. But it is on the list.

Sincerely Lasse
 

Lasse

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For those who love hawkfish but worry about tiny tankmates ... have you looked into the geometric perchlet, Plectranthias? They've got a real hawkfish feel about them ... at a size where most any fish or shrimp you'd like to add ought to be safe . . .

~Bruce, who almost bought one today

I have two of Plectranthias inermis - I really love them but smaller shrimps (like sexy shrimp) will be food - For the moment I have 9 shrimps of 4 different species together with these guys - without any problems.

1-jpg.590636

Sincerely Lasse
 

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When most people see fish swimming from side to side of the tank in front of the glass, they see a happy fish.

I once saw a pigeon floating on a lake. I took it out of the water and it looked ok. Then I noticed a big wound at the base of its tail and yet there was nothing on its face that showed any kind of pain.

I also remember watching a scene in a documentary where a wilderbeest was peacefully laying on the ground. Then the camera slowly zooms out and you see that he was being eaten alive by hyenas. And once again, nothing on its face.

Even all the fish that were mentioned above seem half powered when they are in a tank when compared to when they are in the wild.

Especially in freshwater, people assume that when fish are breeding they are as fine as they can be and forget that the drive to breed is a huge motivation.

That being said, I fully agree that fish that are not aware of what the rockscape looks like on the other side of the tank are the best suited for life inside a tank.
 

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Some predators make great aquarium fish. My marine betta is happy slowly slinking around the place and comes out when I'm about for food. I've seen similar things with fu manchu and fuzzy dwarf lions.
puffer fish are also pretty personable and I put this down to them having more intelligent so adapting to aquarium life and where food comes from isn't normally a problem, sometimes border can be though.
 

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